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Output Issues

As of today, my son is 17 days old. (Born 12/18) He was born at 8lbs 1oz, left the hospital at 7lb 6oz, and weighed in for his one week at 7lb 10oz (Which was apparently good according to the Dr.)

BUT

At his 2 week checkup, he dropped 2 oz to 7lb 8oz. And, since he was nursing, the dr wants to figure out if I'm not putting out enough. So, she has me pumping and then bottle feeding it. So, starting today I have to keep a log of my output. Here's what I have so far:

Time/total (mL)

7:30/90

10:40/67.50

12:45/50

15:12/50

(My left breast lags behind my right in production, if it matters at all.)

Does this look about right? I'm afraid I'm not putting out enough, especially as I'm only keeping about one feeding ahead. (Making me worry for when I go back to work.)

Is there any way to improve my output? Or am I doing ok and worrying over nothing?

Re: Output Issues

Keep in mind that your baby can extract milk from your breast better than a pump can so pumping is not an accurate guage of how much milk baby would be getting on her own.

Personally, and this is just me, I would not be overly concerned about a 2 oz. drop in weight and it certainly wouldn't warrant bottle feeding a 17 day old. Please put your LO back on the breast. Do not bottle feed him. You're doing fine.

Re: Output Issues

Not sure if pumping is even an accurate way of figuring out if your making enough since baby is much better at removing the milk than any pump. What I would say is nurse nurse nurse! Every time you can coax baby to eat, and then watch diaper output. If you do have a supply issue (rare) Nursing frequently is what tells your body how much to make. You are still in the very early stages where your body is learning how much baby needs. If you feel you do have low supply after watching baby's diaper output, then you could try some fenugreek and milk thistle. Worked for me, but you also have to nurse frequently and pump too. And I think your output looks pretty good for pumping only, around 8 oz I think? Baby doesn't need a whole lot early on, (tiny tummy) Best thing to do is watch diaper output. Good luck momma!!

Re: Output Issues

Keep in mind that your baby can extract milk from your breast better than a pump can so pumping is not an accurate guage of how much milk baby would be getting on her own.

Personally, and this is just me, I would not be overly concerned about a 2 oz. drop in weight and it certainly wouldn't warrant bottle feeding a 17 day old. Please put your LO back on the breast. Do not bottle feed him. You're doing fine.

Yep, I was very wary about giving a bottle to my lo before nursing was well established, because I was terrified he would get nipple confusion and start refusing my breast. When are you planning on returning to work?

Re: Output Issues

with others that pumping output is not a good indicator of what baby is getting. In general count the output...how many wet-poopy diapers in a 24 hour period? The slight weight decrease can be due to so many things including scales, human error, weight of clothes etc. If you really want to see how much baby is getting, you could do a weigh/feed/weigh for a full day.

Re: Output Issues

Nobody can say how much you ought to be able to pump at this point, since it depends on what type of pump you have, how your body responds to the pump, how much practice you have with pumping, even your stress levels. There truly is no way to tell how much milk your baby is getting at the breast by looking at those numbers.

Like Jenna said, the number of wet and poopy diapers is a better indicator. You want to see 5-6 very wet diapers (urine should be pale and not have a strong smell) and 3-4 stools (liquidy and yellow, at least the size of a US quarter) in 24 hours.

Weighing the baby before and after feedings is a way to see how much milk the baby is taking in at each feeding, but it would be best to have a board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) help you with that.

I do strongly recommend that you consult with an IBCLC. It sounds to me like your doctor is trying to measure your milk supply according to her knowledge of how much a formula-fed baby would be getting, and it just can't be done. And as the previous posters said, a baby is more efficient than a pump, so if you pump instead of nurse for too long before your supply is well established, it could actually decrease. I really think you need someone who specializes in breastfeeding to help you a) figure out if there's a problem, b) fix it if there is one, and c) communicate that information with your doctor.

Re: Output Issues

Wow soon huh, Well make sure you have a good (hospital grade)pump or you will not be able to keep your supply up without baby nursing. Have you been counting diapers at all?

Just my opinion, but if you are just pumping while away from baby and nursing while together you don't really need a hospital grade pump. You can usually do a personal use double electric and be fine (for example I used the medela pump in style advanced) for 14 months with no issues.

Re: Output Issues

Originally Posted by @llli*jenna562

Just my opinion, but if you are just pumping while away from baby and nursing while together you don't really need a hospital grade pump. You can usually do a personal use double electric and be fine (for example I used the medela pump in style advanced) for 14 months with no issues.